United States of America - January 2026

In January, Minneapolis became the site of escalating confrontations between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and protesters opposing federal immigration enforcement operations. ICE was reported to have used tactics such as intimidation, violence, chemical irritants and arrests against people engaged in monitoring and protest actions. During clashes on 7 and 24 January, ICE officers shot and killed two protesters, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Federal government officials claimed the victims were ‘domestic terrorists’ and that ICE officers acted in self-defense. However, evidence, including video footage, contradicted such claims, showing Good trying to drive away and Pretti on his knees when shot. Local officials condemned the behavior of the federal agents, urging them to leave Minneapolis. Democratic party leaders and rights activists raised alarm after it transpired that federal agents were keeping local officials from the investigations into the incidents. The shootings prompted country-wide protests over the month. 

Sources: ABC, CNN(1),  USA Today, MPR, AP, BBC, New York Times

The FBI searched the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson on 14 January and seized her devices as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified materials. Natanson had become a prominent source of reporting on the federal government under the Trump administration, frequently receiving information from federal employees and insiders.
The Committee to Protect Journalists called the raid ‘highly unusual’ and a ‘blatant violation of journalistic protections.’ 
Further, on 30 January, former CNN anchor Don Lemon and journalist Georgia Fort were arrested while reporting on anti-immigration enforcement protests at a Minneapolis church (according to protesters, one of the church pastors was also an immigration enforcement official). They were charged with federal crimes of conspiracy and interference with worshipers’ First Amendment rights. Lemon’s lawyer called it an ‘unprecedented attack on the First Amendment.’
 
Update: On 25 February, a federal judge prohibited the Department of Justice from scanning the contents of Natanson’s devices, ruling that the court itself would conduct such a search. 

Sources: The Guardian, Washington Post, Committee to Protect Journalists, Amnesty International, BBC, CNN, Politico

On 11 January, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell released a video statement saying that prosecutors were conducting a criminal investigation into the USD 2.5 billion renovation of the central bank’s headquarters and his related testimony to Congress. The investigation was perceived by critics to be an attempt to influence Fed decisions over interest rates, frequently criticized as too high by President Trump, even though the White House denied he had directed the Department of Justice to open the investigation. 
The investigation comes less than half a year after President Trump attempted to fire Governor and Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook on charges perceived to be politically motivated.

Update: The Department of Justice closed the probe on 24 April.

Sources: Federal Reserve, New York Times, CNBC, France24, International IDEA, CNN
 

On 3 January, US forces struck Caracas multiple times and an elite special forces unit seized Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. The couple were transported to the US to face narco-terrorism charges in court, according to an indictment shared by Attorney General Pam Bondi. In a press conference, President Trump said the United States would ‘run’ Venezuela. Democratic Party members, experts and international allies criticized the operation as being contrary to international law and lacking congressional authorization.  

Sources: CNN, The Guardian, AP(1), AP(2), BBC 

On 28 January, the FBI executed a search warrant at the election office in Fulton County, Georgia, seizing original 2020 voting records. The county is at the centre of President Trump’s false claim that the 2020 election was stolen. Unusually for a domestic law enforcement operation, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was also present at the site of the search. When the affidavit used for the search warrant application was made public, it was discovered to only contain previously debunked claims of election fraud.

Local officials expressed concern that the seizure breaks the chain of custody, leaving them with no way of verifying what was taken and whether all the ballots would eventually be returned. The search was seen by critics as an instance of President Trump using federal law enforcement to pursue personal grievances and seeking to undermine future elections, including the 2026 midterms. The county has challenged the seizure in courts as illegal.

Sources: Reuters, ABC, CNN, Guardian, National Public Radio, Associated Press  

On 29 January, President Trump and two of his sons filed a lawsuit against the federal government over leaks of their business and personal tax returns, seeking USD 10 billion in damages. A former contractor who was convicted of leaking the tax returns to media outlets in 2020 is currently serving a 5-year prison sentence.  President Trump is effectively bringing a lawsuit against his own administration as a private individual. Because the Department of Justice (DoJ), which is part of the executive branch and ultimately answers to the president, would have discretion to either defend against or settle the case, the arrangement raised concerns over a significant conflict of interest and the potential for collusive litigation.

Update:  On 24 April, a federal judge ordered a hearing on whether the lawsuit entailed an actual case or controversy, and whether a president suing the federal government he has authority over is permissible under the Constitution. On 19 May, President Trump dropped his lawsuit after reaching an agreement with the DoJ under which a $1.776 billion ‘Anti-Weaponization’ fund  to compensate individuals who claimed they had been unfairly persecuted by federal authorities, would have been established. This sparked outcry from members of both main political parties, who questioned the use of public funds in connection with a lawsuit brought by the president against his own administration. In June, the Acting Attorney General announced that the DoJ would not proceed with the establishment of the fund, but the deal would still bar tax authorities from pursuing claims on existing audits involving Trump, his two eldest sons, or the Trump Organization. On 13 July, a federal judge ruled that Trump improperly used litigation against the IRS, barring him from claiming that the tax protections he obtained were the product of a valid settlement. The District Judge concluded that ‘there was never a case or controversy’ given the alignment and lack of adverseness between the parties.

Sources: BBC, Politico, NBC, AP (1), Politico (2), ABC News, CNN, FT, Reuters, The Guardian, NY Times, NY Times (2)